The five core priorities of Highland Park are what make us a special place. Since my tenure, the City Council added Economic Development and Sustainability as key pillar values. The issues we face as a community are better resolved when we remain true to our mission. I wholeheartedly support Highland Park’s mandates of Public Safety, Fiscal Stability, Infrastructure Development, and our newest ones: Economic Development and Sustainability.

Economic Development

With my strong voice for Economic Development and in collaboration with other Councilmembers, we were able to add this cornerstone to our priorities. This emphasis lead to incentive programs for new and existing businesses and detailed emphasis on resources to attract new businesses and support existing ones. While we’ve made progress, we have a long way to go!

Safety

At the heart of any community is the understanding that it’s citizens are safe and the government is there to foster that sentiment. One year into my term, our community faced the July 4 shootings. As a community, we came together in our grief and our support. The resiliency, community mindedness and healing which were and are exhibited by our residents, leadership, staff and first responders are truly exemplary. 

Intergovernmental work is the hallmark of my candidacy. Following the shooting, we worked closely with the Park District of Highland Park and other sister governments. Until that time, I had served as liaison to the Park District and was involved with their amazing work rebuilding the pier at the Park Avenue Beach. Additionally, I was able to continue my support of our schools as the liaison to North Shore School District 112 (K-8) and follow closely the reconstruction of many of their schools.

Amending Our Laws

I was involved with the recent initiative to amend our liquor ordinance to permit liquor license holders to serve on the City Council. This advisory referendum was passed with 82% of Highland Park residents telling the Council to open up service in our government to all residents irrespective of the business they own. I was an independent voice on the Council to vote in favor, even when in the minority.  I persevered in arguing that the Council reflect the will of the people to change the law after 82% of voters in November overwhelmingly passed a referendum to do so.

Currently, I serve as the liaison to the Plan & Design (PDC) Commission. The PDC has gone to great lengths to revise city codes to reflect our times: improved buffers in neighborhoods, change permitted uses in neighborhoods or our business districts, added a mural policy and approving facades that are tasteful and interesting for our community.

Prior to my work as liaison, I served as a commissioner of the PDC, helping to draft and then approving recommendations to the City Council that included:

• Elimination of the POSO (pedestrian oriented shopping overlay), a formerly useful zoning restriction, in favor of less restrictions on potential merchants in the core retail area of Downtown Highland Park.

• Increase tax revenues by permitting the sale of adult-use cannabis in a responsible, well-regulated manner.

• Regulation and permission for short term rentals to operate in an orderly, balanced and community friendly manner.

Each of these recommendations was subsequently accepted by the majority of the previous Highland Park City Council.

On the PDC, I’ve seen petitioners work with neighbors, adapt and change to enhance our community while growing new neighborhood businesses or concepts. In reviewing the changes proposed, I carefully balanced all interests and continue this thoughtful and pragmatic approach on the Council.

Experience

While I served on District 113’s School Board we brought the School Resource Officer (SRO) program into the high schools. Working with the Police and the City to ultimately develop trust between students, staff, administration and government was crucial to the successful implementation of this initiative. It also reinforced previous programs for lockdown protocols in emergency situations and safety in the school communities.

As a member, Vice President and two-term president of Township High School District 113, I studied, presented to the community, and then saw to fruition the successful implementation of a $114 million dollar referendum. This is the same type of development, fiscal responsibility and long term planning that I brought to our City. 

I have many years of extensive political and governmental experience, initially in New York, where I served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York, Ombudsman to Brooklyn for Governor Mario Cuomo and as District Administrator for Congressman Stephen Solarz. In those capacities, I won federal funding for multiple projects and worked with dozens of communities to broaden economic development and increase community responsiveness.  

In these trying times and in good times, Highland Park has worked to maintain fiscal stability. Still, economic development is crucial. Even before the pandemic began, we faced a changing retail and service landscape that requires addressing. We need additional, ongoing and creative planning. This situation was exacerbated by the pandemic, giving us as a community the challenge to re-set our direction.

Protecting financial stability affords us the opportunity to remain leaders as a community in encouraging and expanding the arts, historic preservation, human services and sustainability. When organizations, businesses and individuals come to us with novel proposals, it is incumbent upon leadership to work with all stakeholders to promote community vibrancy. We do so through seeking new ventures, creative and inclusive programming and open communication. Hence supporting Food Truck Thursdays and several events at Port Clinton and The Lot has infused additional energy into our City.

I am committed to these tenets and my record bears that out. They are what makes living in Highland Park special, unique, and the place that we call home.